Goldfish(Carassius auratus)

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Goldfish
or Carassius
auratus are
members of the
family Cyprinidae
more
commonly known throughout the world as carp.
What we now call goldfish
are a selectively bred hybridized mutation of the Prussian Carp. These
carp
were originally a drab olive color.

Goldfish
were the first historically documented
species of fish to be domesticated and selectively bred. The earliest
documentation
of Prussian carp dates back to the Jin Dynasty (265-420) of ancient China
where they were kept in outdoor ponds
and water
gardens. Prussian carp began being bred for color variation over a
thousand
years ago. By the end of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) selective breeding
had
resulted in yellow, orange, white, red, and multi-colored or koi
variations of
the species. The first fancy tailed
mutation was recorded in the Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644). These were the forerunners
of modern goldfish. Goldfish (Carassius
auratus) and the Prussian carp (Carassius
gibelio) have since been
classified
as two distinct species.

The
precursors to modern goldfish began to be exported
to Japan
and Korea
around 1500 A.D. and made their way to Europe
in the early 1600s. They were first introduced to the United
States
in 1876 and achieved notoriety
at the World’s Fair in Chicago
in 1893. The goldfish is one of the most commonly kept fish among
freshwater
aquarium enthusiast and pond owners around the world.

Depending on
its specific
variety, goldfish can reach an adult
length of up to thirteen inches. They are extremely adaptable fish.
They can tolerate temperatures anywhere from 50-86 °F. It is
their
ability to survive in such a wide temperature range that led to them
being raised in fishbowls.

Fishbowls
are
not suitable
environments for goldfish. They need
properly aerated, adequately filtered water in order to thrive, just
like any other fish.

Think of their
potential
adult size before deciding to add goldfish
to your community tank. They need plenty of room to swim and grow or
their growth can be stunted. They are acceptable community dwellers.
They do have a tendency to pick on smaller fish.

Male and
female goldfish
have identical coloration. The Females are
generally wider and have fuller bodies than males. Males have small
bumps on their gills called tubercles. The tubercles turn white when
the male is ready to breed.

Gold fish can
be
conditioned to spawn. Start by feeding them a high
protein diet such as brine shrimp, tubifex or bloodworms. Keep the
breeding tank between 65-75 °F.
This temperature range will help to induce the spawning cycle

Goldfish
scatter their
eggs. All egg scatterers will eat their
un-hatched eggs. Placing a layer of marbles on the aquarium floor will
prevent this from happening. You still want to remove the adults from
the breeding tank after spawning has taken place.

The eggs will
normally
turn a shade of yellow. Goldfish eggs are
prone to fungus growth. Remove any infested eggs from the tank to
prevent spreading. The eggs will hatch in about a week. You can
expedite the process by raising the water temperature.

Goldfish fry
hatch with
their yoke sac still attached. This is
normal. No need to be concerned. Newly hatched fry can be fed liquid
fry food or powdered eggs. In a few days they can graduate to newly
hatched brine shrimp and then
finely crushed tropical fish flakes.